The invention relates to new and useful improvements in automation technology. More particularly, the invention relates to a programmable device for distributing electrical control signals to technical equipment.
In automation technology, electronic control systems are used, in particular, for automating technical processes. In this respect, familiar electronic control systems have a central processing unit, particularly a programmable logic controller, and may have a so-called local peripheral for distributing, transmitting, receiving and/or processing electrical control signals. Technical equipment is then connected to the electronic control system by means of, e.g., so-called terminal blocks. Examples of such technical equipment include motors, valves, sensors and switches.
German Patent No. DE 44 38 806 C1 discloses a modular control system in which terminal blocks, which can be lined up on mounting rails, are provided for use in signal processing between field equipment and an internal bus line. This internal bus line can be coupled to a higher-level fieldbus system. The modular control system has fixed terminal blocks which can have an electronic module plugged onto them. The removable electronic module is used, in particular, for signal processing purposes and for coupling to a bus system which is connected to a central programmable logic controller.
A particular disadvantage is that the allocation of control signals to the terminal connections of the terminal block is inflexible. Once a terminal structure has been defined, it cannot be modified thereafter without a great deal of effort.
A further disadvantage is that the known terminal block has only unidirectional terminal inputs and outputs. These are usually designed as a separate terminal block for input signals and a separate terminal block for output signals. This requires a great deal of time and effort at the design and planning stage, since each control signal cable for a piece of technical equipment has to be physically split into inputs and outputs during design and planning.
Such known terminal blocks therefore have the disadvantage that they require complicated terminal allocation diagrams to be drawn up. These have a high potential for error at the design and planning stage, i.e. when the technical equipment is connected to the terminal connections.
It is therefore a first object of the invention to provide a device, for distributing electrical control signals to technical equipment, having more advantageous design and planning characteristics.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a device in which the allocation of control signals to the terminal connections is flexible and easily modified.
It is another object of the invention to provide a more efficient device with bi-directional use (e.g., input/output) terminals that avoids the need to physically split each control signal cable for each piece of technical equipment into inputs and outputs during the design and planning stage.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a device that avoids the need for complicated terminal allocation diagrams to be drawn up at the design and planning stage, in order to reduce the potential for terminal wiring error.
According to one formulation of the invention, these and other objects are achieved by a programmable device for distributing electrical control signals to technical equipment, comprising:
a) terminal connections for electrically connecting the technical equipment;
b) programmable process signal channels for the electrical control signals, wherein the process signal channels are application-dependently programmable;
c) a display device having a graphics user interface, the graphics user interface comprising:
c1) first graphics control fields for displaying the programmable process signal channels; and
c2) second graphics control fields for displaying the terminal connections;
d) graphics control equipment for establishing an application-dependent graphical association between one of the first graphics control fields and one of the second graphics control fields; and
e) at least one processing unit which, on the basis of the application-dependent graphical association, produces a control link such that the electrical control signals are transmitted via a corresponding process signal channel that is represented by the one first graphics control field and via a corresponding terminal connection that is represented by the second graphics control field.
The programmable device has programmable process signal channels, which are programmably and flexibly linked to terminal connections for routing electrical control signals to the technical equipment. The programmable device also has a display device that displays a graphics user interface, which in turn shows the programmable process signal channels and the terminal connections. This arrangement of the programmable device allows a user to graphically associate the programmable process signal channels with the terminal connections in order to establish a control link depending on the particular application of the device.
One advantage of the programmable device according to the invention for distributing electrical control signals to technical equipment is that graphics control equipment is used to create, on a graphics user interface, an application-dependent graphical association between terminal connections and process signal channels for electrical control signals. When this is done, the graphical association produces a corresponding control link for the relevant terminal connections and process signal channels.
A further advantage is that, during the design and planning of the electrical connection between the technical equipment and the terminal connections, steps can be taken to start programming the terminal allocation. In this respect, the graphics control equipment can be used to create a quick and clear application-dependent association, via the user interface, between input and output signal channels of a central processing unit and the corresponding terminal connections. In particular, this permits wiring based on colors or a number code, which is customary in design and planning; in particular, this means laying the signal lines using the so-called xe2x80x9ccolor schemexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cnumberingxe2x80x9d. By associating signal lines and terminals by color, for example, it is possible to produce so-called xe2x80x9cfixed wiringxe2x80x9d in minimal amounts of time, without the need for wiring to be checked for correctness by additional, repeated, visual inspections.